42 Black-owned restaurants in the Austin area, from Cajun classics to barbecue and more

Matthew Odam, Austin American-Statesman
·6 min read

Black restaurant owners in Central Texas celebrate the foodways of Texas and the African diaspora with diverse offerings ranging from Cajun classics to barbecue. The area is home to dozens of restaurants serving smoked wings, chicken and waffles, curry goat, post oak-smoked brisket and so much more.

Sites are worth visiting: Where can you learn more about early Black history in Austin?

In honor of Black History Month, we take a look at 40 restaurants in the area that help make Central Texas a rich and exciting place for dining.

Anything’s Baked Potato

Shrimp, fried chicken, bacon and eggs. Almost anything you can imagine, loaded into a baked potato. 1326 Rosewood Ave. 512-243-7702, anythingsaustin.com.

Aster's Ethiopian Restaurant

Load up your injera with the all-you-can-eat lunch specials at this Ethiopian restaurant. 2804 N. I-35. 512-469-5966, www.astersethiopiankitchen.com.

Bigg Belly BBQ Co.

Brisket served by the pound, on a bun, in a taco and more. 9313 Anderson Mill Road. 512-903-0714, Instagram.com/biggbellybbq28.

Bikkle Jamaican Restaurant

This campus-area restaurant curry goat, stews, oxtail and other Jamaican favorites. 3023 Guadalupe St. 512-400-6033, eatbikkle.com.

Bird Bird Biscuit

Biscuits centered with fried chicken served at two locations. 2701 Manor Road. 1401 W. Koenig Lane. birdbirdbiscuit.com.

Brown’s Bar-B-Que

Daniel Brown serves some of the best chicken, brisket and ribs in town from his red trailer at Corner Bar. 1901 S. Lamar Blvd. 512-517-8520, Instagram.com/brownsbarbque.

Daniel Brown has been operating his Brown's Bar-B-Que trailer in South Austin for more than a decade.
Daniel Brown has been operating his Brown's Bar-B-Que trailer in South Austin for more than a decade.

Community Vegan

The menu of oyster mushroom wing baskets, beer-battered cauliflower chicken sandwiches and avocado bites at co-owners Marlon Rison and Ericka Dotson’s food truck is proof vegans don’t have to sacrifice flavor. 1124 E. 11th St. 737-268-0398, communityveganatx.com.

Marlon Rison, Community Vegan food truck co-owner and vegan cook, makes lemon pepper wings inside his food truck.
Marlon Rison, Community Vegan food truck co-owner and vegan cook, makes lemon pepper wings inside his food truck.

Crimson Creek Smokehouse

The Chicago pedigree makes sense when you bite into the sweet rib burnt ends at this trailer. 2250 US 290, Dripping Springs. 512-774-4739, crimsoncreekbbq.com.

Diner Bar and Grey Market

James Beard award-winning chef Mashama Bailey brings her refined port city cuisine to downtown Austin, along with her casual bodega-meets-lunch-counter offerings. 500 San Jacinto Blvd. thedinerbar-austin.com, thegreymkt-austin.com.

Distant Relatives

Chef Damien Brockway explores the food ways of Africa with his modern smokeshack at Meanwhile Brewing Co. that serves some of the city’s best barbecue. 3901 Promontory Point Drive, distantrelativesatx.com.

Mashama Bailey, right, owns the Diner Bar and Grey Market with partner Johno Morisano.
Mashama Bailey, right, owns the Diner Bar and Grey Market with partner Johno Morisano.

Down South Texas BBQ

Ribs, brisket and pulled pork served in all forms make up the heart of this barbecue trailer located in Alice’s Food Court in North Austin. 1716 Howard Lane. Instagram.com/dstbbq.

Emmer & Rye Hospitality Group

Guianese chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph is a partner in the restaurant group that operates Canje, which serves Caribbean cuisine, along with Emmer & Rye, Ezov and Hestia. emmerhospitality.com.

Gigi’s Cupcakes

This cupcake shop was founded by lifetime Longhorns Brian Orakpo and Michael Griffin. 3944 FM 620 S. Bee Cave. 512-953-9833, thecupcakeguys.com.

Habesha

Springy injera bread comes loaded with lentils, greens, doro wat and more at this Ethiopian restaurant. 6019 I-35 N. 512-358-6839, habeshaaustin.com.

Hello Sweetie BBQ

The Holy Trinity of Texas barbecue, along with pulled pork and soul food sides in the heart of Georgetown. 2200 S. Austin Ave. Georgetown. hellowsweetiebbq.com.

Hoover's Cooking

Few chefs in Austin have the history with the city that native Austinite Hoover Alexander does, a fact evident by the roster of longtime regulars who still show up for his chicken fried steak and convivial hospitality. 2002 Manor Road. 512-479-5006, hooverscooking.com.

JP's Pancake Company

Pancakes stacked high that would make any sweet tooth blush. 2513 Rio Grande St. 1311 S. First St. jpspancakecompany.com.

Les Bobos Crepes

Sweet and savory crepes and a solid coffee program near the University of Texas campus. 2707 Rio Grande St. 281-786-0428, lesboboscrepes.com.

Luv Fats Ice Cream

This business has a storefront serving a wide variety of dairy-free flavors, which can also be purchased in stores around town. 7135 N. Lamar Blvd. luvfatsicecream.com.

Mama Jambalaya

Check the website and social media of this roving food truck and catering operation to track down gumbo, po boys, and, yes, jambalaya. mamajambalaya.com.

Midway Dogs

With their hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches, Chicago natives Bonita and James Allen bring a taste of the Windy City to Austin. 1012 Menchaca Road. 512-590-2328, midwaydogstx.com.

Mix’t Caribbean Blends

The Caribbean meets the comforting soul food of the South at this roving food truck. mixtcaribbeanblends.com.

New Orleans Gumbeaux2Geaux

Fried shrimp, chicken and ribs complement the namesake gumbo at this East Austin spot. 1815 Rosewood Ave. 737-209-0110, gumbeaux2geaux.com.

The Potluck

Wings and Cajun cuisine from this food truck in South Austin. 5700 Menchaca Road. 737-781-2893, thepotluckatx.com.

Rolling Rooster

Wings, waffles, oxtails and soul food sides at two locations. 9313 Anderson Mill Road. 512-903-0714; 13717 Loop 1, 512-547-4444, therollingrooster.com.

Roots Chicken Shak

Dallas chef Tiffany Terry’s restaurant inside the Mueller H-E-B serves duck fat-fried chicken.  1801 E. 51st St. 512-236-1020, rootschickenshak.com.

Sam’s Bar-B-Que

This iconic barbecue restaurant operated by Biran Mays has been serving the East Community for more than 65 years. 2000 E. 12th St. 512–478-0378, samsbarbque.com.

Shirley’s Trini Cuisine

Caribbean classics like stews and curries, along with fun dishes like shredded oxtails on fries. 1326 Rosewood Ave. 512-647-0689, grannyshirleys.com.

Slab BBQ

Multiple locations of this restaurant serve smoked meats piled high on sliders and sandwiches. dopebbq.com.

Raf Robinson poses at his restaurant Slab BBQ in Austin.
Raf Robinson poses at his restaurant Slab BBQ in Austin.

Taste of Ethiopia

Owners Woinee Mariam and her husband, Solomon Hailu, make guests feel like family at the two locations of their Ethiopian restaurant. 3801 S. Congress Ave. 512-814-4131; 1100 Grand Ave. Pkwy, Pflugerville, 512-251-4053, tasteofethiopia.com.

Tony's Jamaican Food

Curry goat, oxtail and jerk chicken are a few of the traditional Jamaican specialties served at this friendly Pflugerville restaurant and East Austin food truck. 2700 W. Pecan St. Suite 650, Pflugerville. 512-358-4949; 1124 E 11th St. (512) 945-5090 tonysjamaicanfoodtx.com.

Whip My Soul

Soul food classics and playful spins like fried egg rolls stuffed with mac n’ cheese and oxtails. 11416 N. FM 620. 512-514-0103, Facebook.com/whipmysoul.

Winston’s Kitchen

Jerk and curry chicken and other Jamaican specialties from this longtime food truck in South Austin. You can also sample Winston's cuisine every Wednesday at Flamingo Cantina on Sixth Street when Austin's home for reggae music hosts Dreadneck Night. 2103 West Slaughter Lane. 512-541-6282, winstons-kitchen-restaurant.business.site.

Y’alls Down Home Southern Cafe

Cajun classics and soul food like fried pork chops are the main attractions at this Round Rock restaurant. 2000 I-35 S. 512-243-8014, eatatyalls.cafe.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: 42 Black-owned restaurants that make the Austin area food scene richer